[extropy-chat] Reverse Evolution ?

[Ian Goddard]

>
http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/060221_unertanfrm.htm

It's claimed there the quadrupedal members of the
family have a newly discovered syndrome. However, in a
PubMed search I found a preexisting syndrome called
"dysequilibrium syndrome" (DES) that prevented 11
mentally retarded members of a Hutterite community
from walking unassisted until between 5 to 21 years of
age. DES apparently goes back even further. The
individuals in the recent case are also described as
retarded. These syndromes may be the same and I
suspect are not "reverse evolution" to prehuman
primate neurology as suggested above.

Am J Med Genet (1981): "We report a nonprogressive
neurological disorder in at least 11 Hutterites with
healthy but consanguineous parents. In several of the
affected, hypotonia was noted at birth. Retarded motor
and mental development became apparent during the
first year of life. The age of unsupported walking
varied from 5-21 years. [...] The disorder is probably
the same as that described earlier under the heading,
dysequilibrium syndrome." 
http://www.hubmed.org/display.cgi?uids=7246619

Am J Med Genet (1985): "This is a preliminary note on
the occurrence of the disequilibrium syndrome (DES) in
the Dariusleut Hutterites of Montana. Previously the
condition was reported in the Dariusleut of Alberta by
Schurig et al [1981] as an autosomal recessive,
non-progressive neurological disorder with congenital
hypotonia, considerable psychomotor retardation,
unsteady broadly based gait and stance, increased deep
tendon reflexes, and mild to moderate mental
retardation. Affected individuals were short. In the
Montana family studied by us in 1981, a brother and
three sisters are affected."
http://www.hubmed.org/display.cgi?uids=4061489
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/110517046/

"DES is an autosomal recessive disorder with distinct
clinical features including global developmental
delay, late ambulation (after age 6 y), truncal
ataxia, and a static clinical course."
http://www.hubmed.org/display.cgi?uids=16174313

~Ian

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